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Defenceman Roman Polak agrees to one-year deal with Leafs

The Maple Leafs have re-signed free agent Roman Polak, the hard-nosed defenceman who endeared himself to coach Mike Babcock for his ability to block shots.

Polak signed a one-year deal worth $1.1 million.

Polak broke his right leg in the playoffs against Washington last season, and has been working out with the Leafs since training camp. The 31-year-old had four goals and seven assists for the Leafs last season. He skated in one pre-season game.

A roster move before Monday’s game against Los Angeles is likely.

LESSON LEARNED: Morgan Rielly said playing tight defensive teams now, like Ottawa on Saturday, is a good learning experience for later in the season when offence will be hard to come by.

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“Playing against a team that’s doing a great job defensively is good,” Rielly said. “We have to learn how to win those kinds of games. Months from now, down the road when we’re trying to make the playoffs, that’s the style that all teams play.”

CARTER HURT: The Kings come to Toronto without Jeff Carter, who required surgery to repair a cut to his left ankle that included a cut tendon.

“He’s a huge part of the Kings,” Leafs winger Patrick Marleau said. “We still have to play the game and do the right things to be successful. It’s going to be more of the same that we saw against Ottawa. They (the Kings) are sound defensively.

“We’ll have to right our wrongs that we did against Ottawa.”

CROWNING GLORY: The Kings beat the Leafs 7-0 in their last visit to the Air Canada Centre, and Leafs coach Mike Babcock uses losses like that to teach.

“They smacked us around but I also think you need lessons in your life. When everything goes good all the time, it’s not good. You need the good tightening every once in a while. I thought we got it (against Ottawa). We had the best team in the league coming in.

“It’s going to be a real challenge (against the Kings) and that’s what we need.”

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BOYLE BACK ON ICE: Former Leafs forward Brian Boyle, now with New Jersey, has been cleared for full participation in practice after being diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia in September.

The Devils said Sunday morning that Boyle would be joining the team at their practice later that day. The team also said there is no timetable for his return to game action.

The 32-year-old Boyle was diagnosed with CML, a type of bone-marrow cancer, after bloodwork at the start of training camp showed irregularities from last season.

CML is the same disease that former Leafs forward Jason Blake played through after being diagnosed in 2007. Blake played six more seasons after being diagnosed with CML.

Boyle signed a two-year, $5.5-million (U.S.) contract with New Jersey in the off-season.

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